Two Eagles and an Eaglet
by FifthDayOfMay
Summary: Ezio hasn't had to raise children in hundreds of years, Altair for a few hundred more then that. Now, with litte six year old Desmond making their family of two into three, they're going to have to remember how, and fast.
1. Chapter 1

The update rate on this will be slow. Don't expect much from this because I have only the vaguest clue where I'm going with it. There won't be any slash so don't expect that. It would be weird considering Ezio and Altair are going to be raising Desmond and I don't ship other things in this really. Anyway enjoy this. :)

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Chapter One: Making Friends In High Places

Desmond sat on the roof of his house, staring at the nearly abandoned grounds below him. There were a few people milling about but not many, most were inside training or out on missions. In fact almost all of the other assassin's had already headed back in for the night, Desmond was one of the few exceptions. Just a few hours ago he'd gotten into a fight with his dad. Apparently he hadn't been throwing his knives properly and the well trained assassin had quickly gotten annoyed with his sons inability to hit the target dead center.

The six year old sighed and curled his arms closer around his legs. His dad was always like that, a perfectionist with a quick temper. Nothing Desmond did ever seemed to please him. He sighed again, dropping onto his side. They boy lay there like that for what felt like hours while the sun dropped below the horizon and the moon rose in a grinning Cheshire Cat of a crescent.

It was while he was lying there that he heard the faint whispered scrape of shoes on tiles. It was so quiet that if he hadn't been sitting on the roof he probably wouldn't have heard it. Tensing, he shifted the slightest bit so his hand wrapped around one of the many rocks some of the other kids liked to throw up here. More than likely it was one of the other assassins in the compound sent to come find him. On the other hand he doubted anyone would've noticed he was gone since training was already over for the day and his parents were usually pretty busy around this time.

Either way, if his dad found out he'd left himself unprepared and open for an attack he'd be pretty mad.

The silence stretched out for several long minutes and just when Desmond was considering that the sound he'd heard was a bat or bird of some sort the silence broke. "What is one so young doing out at a time like this?" A smooth, unfamiliar accented voice questioned. Desmond sat up and hurled the rock in the direction of the voice. He heard a startled laugh and turned to see a man garbed in an oddly classy jacket with its hood pulled up.

It cast a shadow across his eyes and the bridge of his nose but an amused smile still shone through. "Little but fierce, I see I've underestimated you. My apologies." With those words he gave a short graceful bow. As he straightened he tossed something to Desmond and the young assassin in training was quick to catch it.

He stared down at the rock in his hand, the one he'd just thrown. "Your aim is quite good." The man praised and Desmond blinked at him surprised.

"You think so?" Desmond asked hesitantly. Despite himself he felt a bubble of happiness in his chest at the strangers words.

"Si." The man replied and Desmond blinked at the word.

"Are you Spanish?" He asked bluntly and the man stated at him for a moment before letting out a quiet laugh.

"No no bambino." He shook his head. "I'm Italian."

Desmond nodded understandingly and then frowned and hesitantly asked, "like the pizza?"

Another slightly louder laugh escaped the man, seeming almost startled out of him. "Yes bambino. Like the pizza." Still chuckling the man took a step closer and kicked a rock from the roof and up into his hand. "You never answered my question though, what are you doing out ap late little one?"

Desmond fidgeted where he sat. This man seemed nice, and something about him was drawing Desmond in for some reason. But still- "I'm not supposed to talk to strangers." Desmond said sullenly. The man grinned from under his hood.

"A wise principle to uphold my young friend." The Italian agreed. He seemed to ponder this for a moment before a decision was reached. The stranger swept the hood off his head revealing a handsome man with shoulder length brown hair pulled back into a low ponytail. "I am Ezio Auditore da-" he trailed off and chuckled, "I am Ezio, and you may call me that."

At Desmond's confused expression he elaborated with a flippant, "now I am no stranger si?" Ezio's hand extended in his direction. "May I have your name as well child?"

Desmond startled slightly. "Oh, um, I'm Desmond. Desmond Miles."

"It is a pleasure to meet you Desmond." Ezio said with a warm smile which Desmond couldn't help but shyly return. "And now that we are no longer strangers, may I know why you are out so late?"

Desmond blushed. "O-oh, well," he fidgeted where he sat, "promise you won't laugh?"

Ezio drew an x over his heart with a solemn expression on his face. "On my honor Desmond."

Desmond nodded seriously in return. "Okay, well, I was gonna wait until everyone was inside so I-" he looked down at his lap. "I wanted to go practice my aim."

Ezio looked confused and he sat down on the roof beside Desmond. "Your aim is superb, especially for someone as young as you."

Desmond sighed. "My dad doesn't think so." He muttered despondent.

Ezio stared at him for a moment in silence. "Would you like me to help?"

The six year old looked up at him in awe. "You'd do that?" He whispered.

A grin split the Italian man's lips. "Of course little one," he stood and tugged Desmond to his feet. "Now,"he tossed the rock he was holding to Desmond, "let's see that aim of yours one more time."


	2. Throwing Rocks

Okay guys, like I said, this story will not be updated frequently or consistently. It's a pet project more then anything else but I loved the response I received for the first chapter and, honestly, I've been working on this once since not long after I posted the first. I rewrote this several times trying to fortune out what I wanted to happen here and finally just decided to pick up where the last chapter left off. I don't really know where I'm going with this story but I at least know that it'll be a few chapters before Altair shows up. I hope you all enjoy this and seriously, I'm sorry but I honestly don't know when I'm going to get the next chapter out. But, yeah, read it and I hope you like it.

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"I'm okay with rocks and stuff." Desmond admitted after a few minutes of throwing rocks at Ezio.

"Indeed." The Italian agreed rubbing his shoulder. "I have a bruise on my arm that can attest that claim."

Desmond giggled and Ezio smiled at him. The boy kicked his feet back and forth, looking down at the ground below. The two were sitting at the edge of he roof, Desmond's legs dangling over the side and Ezio sitting partially concealed in the shadows near a chimney. It was strangely impressive how the man could blend so easily into the background. He wondered if he'd ever be able to do that.

After a brief silence Ezio abruptly stood up. Desmond blinked up at him and the renaissance assassin grinned, holding out his hand to help Desmond to his feet. "Come Desmond, I have an idea." Hesitantly, the six year old too his new friend's hand and stood. "We will have to be incredibly silent though, can you do that Desmond?"

Desmond thought about it for a moment and then nodded with a tiny smile. Ezio smiled back. "Excellent," he began leading the boy away, "let's go."

The master assassin took them on a strange, round about route down from the rooftops and guided Desmond through the shadow's as the walked. A few times they would stop and Ezio would push Desmond gently behind him and go very still. Following his lead, Desmond would go still too. After a whille, they ended up in one of the farms training grounds. Desmond couldn't help but wonder why they'd chosen this one.

It wasn't close to the more residential area of the farm but their were definitely training grounds further away. Shadow's obscured most of the grounds from view including the targets where the assassins practiced throwing techniques. Ezio studied the grounds before nodding decisively and leading Desmond straight to the target's he'd just been eyeing. "Alright Desmond," the older assassin started as he pulled something out of his jacket and handed to him, "show me your stance."

Desmond looked at the thing Ezio was holding out to him and his eyes went wide. It was a knife, and even he could tell that it was beautiful. "I," biting his lips Desmond took the knife almost reverently from the man's hands and turned to face the targets. Ezio kneeled down beside him and partially behind him and Desmond took several calming breaths before forcing his body to take on the stance his instructor had shown him again and again. His limbs felt awkward and stiff and he couldn't remember what to do with his hands.

"Adjust your grip Desmond." Ezio couched quietly from behind him. Frowning and feeling incredibly stupid, Desmond repositioned his fingers on the handle and Ezio chuckled. "Not quite my friend." The man's large hands found his on the blade and shifted his finger's around. "Like this, hold it for a moment so you may understand the feel of the hold."

Desmond bit his lips again and nodded while staring at the knife. He fidgeted in place, turning to look to his left where Ezio was kneeling beside him. The man was watching him with quiet, gentle patience and something about that made Desmond relax. His limbs stopped feeling like they were awkward sticks and the stance began to feel more natural. After a moment he felt better and grinned as Ezio. "Can I throw it now?"

A laugh left the assassin and he dropped his forehead into his palm as his laughter quieted. "You are so impatient bambino." The Italian sounded amused and Desmond pouted at him.

"Please?" He all but whined and Ezio snickered again, lifting his face from his hand and patting Desmond on the shoulder.

"Si young one." He squeezed the small shoulder briefly. "Remember to keep yourself steady." The Italian stood and nudged his legs with one of his feet. "Adjust your stance Desmond." When the boy did as the older man said he grinned down at him.

"Excellent, now," he stepped back, "throw it."

And Desmond did. The knife hit mostly inside the center of the target with about half of the blade sticking away from the middle. Desmond blinked, and then grinned. He turned to Ezio, pleased to find the man smiling at him. "I did it, I touched the center!"

"Hush bambino," the man soothed but did nothing to quell his own grin. He kneeled down beside the boy once more and ruffled his hair. "We do not want to awaken anyone."

"But I did it." Demond repeated practically glowing and Ezio laughed.

"I know, it was a most impressive throw." The child grinned up at him.

"Show me again." He half pleaded half demanded and Ezio snorted but kneeled down beside him all the same.

"Very well," he conceded patting him briefly on the back. "But first, you must retrieve your knife."

Desmond blinked at him. "Oh yeah." He turned then and hurried silently towards the target. His little hands were quick and careful as he handled the knife and Ezio silently approved of his caution. When he was Desmond's age, he wasn't nearly as careful with such sharp and dangerous objects.

Fortunately, he learned very quickly to respect his weapons. If only because he'd nearly sliced his arm off, much to his older brother's amusement. It was probably good that despite their distant relation, Desmond didn't seem to be like him in that regard. Ezio's face took on a peculiar expression as a thought occurred to him. Oddly enough, the boy's quiet and determined demeanor reminded him a great deal of Altair.

Just as that thought started to form, Desmond stopped quietly beside him. The little child was holding the knife out to him with a proud smile on his face and it was so cute that Ezio couldn't stop himself from ruffling the boy's hair. "Excellent work Desmond, you were quick, silent, and careful." The man praised feeling his heart melt as Desmond practically glowed from the praise.

"Will you show me again now?" The question sounded somehow more excited then it had the first time and Ezio laughed quietly.

"Si bambino." The Italian assassin agreed. His hands griped Desmond's shoulders, turning him so that he once again faced the target. Immediately, the child fell into the stance Ezio had shown him before. It was the same stance his teacher had been trying to teach him for months but somehow, it came to him easier when Ezio was showing him. It came to him easier, but he still didn't have it quite right.

"Almost Desmond." Ezio hummed, reaching out to adjust the six year olds limbs and shift his weight just a tad. Desmond frowned, he'd really thought he'd gotten it right this time. "Don't look so blue child," Ezio soothed, "you will fall into the motions without a thought before long." Desmond smiled at him over his shoulder and Ezio smiled back.

"Okay, um," Desmond pulled his arm back, "like this?" He asked and Ezio's smile turned amused.

"Close," he helped Desmond hold the knife properly and once again ran him through the proper throwing steps. "Now throw it." The Italian told him.

Letting out a calming breath, Desmond did.

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Well that's it, that's the thing folks.

OH AND BY THE WAY I GOT A REALLY GREAT GUEST REVIEW! I wish the person who'd left it hadn't been anonymous because I would've loved to respond to them. But because I can't let me just tell you here that it wasn't a hurtful review in any way and I was horribly glad to hear your opinion. I love getting reviews like that one where people tell me honestly what they think of the chapter. I'd like to know what mistakes specifically you were talking about but I suppose I can't really ask because, well, Guest review. But yeah, thanks for all of the reviews I received for the first chapter everyone! And thank you anonymous Guest reviewer, I hope you choose not to be anonymous if you review me again.


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